East Texas Jury Rules for T-Mobile in Patent Dispute
A federal jury in Tyler ruled that the communications giant did not infringe the patent rights of Realtime Data.
Patent Lawsuits Skyrocket in Texas
The America Invents Act was supposed to reduce the amount of new patent litigation, but instead, IP dispute filings are going through the roof in Texas -- according to legal experts
Dallas Federal Judge Rules for Verizon in $9 Billion Lawsuit
Creditors in the 2010 bankruptcy case of Dallas-based Idearc Inc. seeking to recoup more than $9 billion in losses were dealt a near certain death blow Tuesday when a federal judge in Dallas ruled they have almost no chance of winning their case.
FedEx Sues Texas Workforce Commission
FedEx says the TWC is illegally forcing the company to pay $1 million in unemployment taxes for its drivers, which FedEx claims are independent contractors. FedEx also accuses the state of double dipping by attempting to collect unemployment taxes from both the company and the hundreds of independent contractors. The case is being watched by scores of major corporations, including AT&T and TimeWarner Cable, which use contractors in Texas.
HayBoo Settles $773K Dispute with Houston Housing Authority
The Harris County Housing Authority has settled its $773,731 fee dispute with Haynes and Boone over legal payments the Houston agency believes were improperly made to the law firm through a contractor in 2008 and 2009.
The 10 Biggest Business Law Stories of 2012
American Airlines' bankruptcy, dozens of billion-dollar energy deals, BP oil spill settlements and the criminal trial of Houston investor R. Allen Stanford were among the lead business law stories of 2012.
Fiscal Cliff Could Endanger Access to Federal Courts
Federal judges in Texas say that sequestration could have devastating effects on people’s access to the court system and the administration of justice. “If you furlough the garbage collectors, no one is surprised when the garbage starts piling up,” says Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. “These cuts are going to have the same impact on the federal courts."
Bickel & Brewer Disqualified in Paid Witness Dispute
A Dallas judge has booted Bickel & Brewer from a big dollar international civil lawsuit because the firm and its Chilean co-counsel hired a former executive from the opposing side who claims the law firms agreed to pay him $1 million over three years to provide insider privileged information about the case. Lawyers for the hard-charging law firm say its lawyers acted within ethical guidelines and plan to immediately appeal state District Judge Carlos Cortez's order.
Mark Lanier Wins $5.5 Million Jury Verdict for Injured Worker
Trial is Lanier's first in his hometown of Lubbock and is first million-dollar verdict in Lubbock in a decade.
Texas Supreme Court Seeks Comments on Mandatory Limits on Discovery and Trials
Defense and plaintiffs lawyers are critical of the one-size-fits-all cases approach. Litigators also worry that language in the order that might allow the court to apply the rules to disputes involving more than $100,000. Click on the headline to read the full story.
McKool Smith Wins $368 Million Patent Verdict Against Apple
VirnetX Holding Corporation continued its success in federal court in Tyler, winning a $368 million patent infringement verdict this week against Apple over video conferencing technology. The Nevada company scored an $105.75 million jury verdict against Microsoft in 2010. Dallas-based McKool Smith represented VirnetX in both victories.
Eastland Appeals Court Sides with Occidental in $10.5 Million Royalty Dispute
Lawyers say ruling sets precedent for valuing gas containing high content of injected carbon dioxide, which is then separated out to make marketable hydrocarbon products.